American Museum of Natural History

Meet one of the largest insects on the planet: the Atlas moth (Attacus atlas)! With a wingspan that can reach 10.6 in (27 cm), this giant can be found in parts of Asia including China, India, and Indonesia. As a caterpillar, the Atlas moth spends nearly every moment eating… but as an adult, it cannot feed because it has a non-functioning mouthpart—resulting in a lifespan of only up to two weeks. Did you know? You can spot this species up close in the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium in the Museum's Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation! Plan your visit.

Photo: armbbb, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Happy National Moth Week! Pictured is the Atlas moth, which has the largest wings of any moth in the world, with a wingspan of up to 12 inches. Like all species in the family Saturniidae, the Atlas moth has no mouth and does not need to feed as an adult. 

Click here to learn more about moths!

The Atlas moth is our featured moth of the day as we celebrate National Moth Week.

Did you know? Primitive moths appeared 195 million years ago, during the Jurassic period. Since then, more than 150,000 known species of moths have evolved in diverse colors, shapes, and sizes ranging from the European pygmy sorrel moth, with a wingspan of just 0.1 inch (3 millimeters), to the Atlas moth of Southeast Asia, whose wingspan can reach up to 12 inches (30 centimeters).

Learn more moth facts!